wheel size AUDI S6 2008 Owners Manual

• Each tire, including the spare, should be checked monthly when
cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres­ sure label. (I f your vehicle has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires.) •
TPMS malfunction indicator
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indi ­
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly . The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low t ire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a ma lfunction, the te lltale wi ll
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously il luminated . T his sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
starts up as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not be ab le to detect or signa l low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS ma lfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
veh ic le that prevent the TPMS from functioning proper ly . Always
check the TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or whee ls on your ve hicle to ensure t hat the replacement or
a lternate tires and wheels a llow the TPMS to continue to function
proper ly .•
Introduction
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors air pressure
in all four road wheels while the vehicle is moving .
As soon as the tire pressure monitoring system senses a significant
loss of air pressure in one or severa l tires, text messages and yellow
symbo ls appear in the instrument cluster display to a lert the driver .
Controls and equip ­
ment
Dr ive r informat ion di spl ay
The , J warning light in the instrument cluster comes on when the
t ire is significantly underinflated
~ page 20 .
The warning light I also i lluminates in the case of a system
malfunction.
Be aware that t ire pressure is also dependent on the temperature of
the tire . For every 18 °F (10 °C) increase in tire temperature, tire pres ­
sure increases by about 1 .5 psi (0 .1 bar). The tire warms up while the
vehicle is moving and tire pressure rises . So you should adjust tire
pressure on ly when they are
cold, when the tempera ture of the tires
is roughly the same as the ambient air temperature.
I n order to keep the tire pressure monitoring system properly cali ­
brated, tire pressure on all four tires should be checked at regular
intervals, adjusted if necessary and saved in the proper setting
(recommended pressure) ~
page 45.
The tire pressure is shown on the label located either on the driver's
s ide 8 -pi llar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fue l filler
flap .
& WARNING
• Wh en the tire pre ssure mon itor ing system warning light i s lit,
one or more of your tir es i s s ignifi cantly und er-inflated. You should
s to p and che ck your ti re s as s oon as possible , and infl ate them to
the proper pre ssure as indicated on the vehicle's tire pre ssure
l a bel ~
page 317 . Driving on a signifi cantly und er- inflated tire
c au se s the tire to ov erheat and can l ead to tir e fa ilure. Under-infla­
tion als o i s lik ely to impair the ve hicle' s handling and st opping
a bility .
• Do not adju st tire pre ssure when t ire tempe rat ure is exces sive.
Thi s could lead to ser iou s tire d amage and ev en cau se the tire to
bur st, w ith the addition al d anger of an ac cid ent . .,,
I • •

Child Safety -
--------------------''---
& WARNIN G (continu ed )
• Always install rear-facing child safety seat s on the rear seat.
• If you mu st in stall a re arw ard fa cing child safety sea t on the
front pa ssenger seat in exceptional cir cum stances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not come on and stay on,
immediate ly in sta ll the re ar-facing child safety seat in a rear
s eating po sition and h ave the airbag sy stem inspected immedi ­
atel y by your Audi dea ler .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circum stance s, you mu st install a forward -facing
c hild re st raint on the fro nt p ass enger's seat :
• Alway s make sure the forward -facing seat has been de signed
and cert ified by it s manufa cturer f or use on a front se at with a
p assenger front and side airbag .
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always mov e the passenger sea t into it s rea rmo st p osition in
the seat' s fore and aft adju stment r ange , as far away from the
airb ag as possible before in stalling the ch ild r estr aint . The b ack­
r es t must be adju sted to an upr ight po sition.
• Alway s ma ke sure th at the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
c ome s on and stay s on all the time whenever the ignition is
s witched on. •
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual -stage front "Advanced Airbag
System" in comp liance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard ( FMVSS) 208 as applicab le at the time your vehic le
was manufactured.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has been certified to
meet the " low -risk" requirements for 3 and 6 year -old children on
the passenger side and small adu lts on the driver side. The low risk
deployment crite ria are intended to reduce the risk of injury th rough
interaction with the airbag that can occur, for example, by being too
close to the steering wheel and instrument panel when the airbag
inf lates . In addit ion, the system has been cert ified to comply with
the "suppression" requirements of the Safety Standard, to turn off
the front airbag for infants up to 12 months who are restrained on
the front passenger seat in child restraints that are listed in the
Standard.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
system, all children, especially those 12 years and younger, should
a lways ride in the back seat properly restrained for their age and
s ize . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a poten­
tia lly dangerous p lace for a chi ld to ride. The front seat is not the
safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child safety seat. It can be
a very dangerous place for an infant or a larger child in a rearward­
facing seat. •
Advanced Airbags and the weight-sensing
mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle detects the presence
of an infant or child in a chi ld restraint on the front passenger seat
using the weight -sensing mat in the seat cushion and the sensor
below the safety belt latch on the front passenger seat that
measures the tension on the safety be lt .
The weight -sensing mat measures t otal weight of the child and the
child safety seat and a chi ld blanket on the front passenger seat. The
we ight o n the front passenger seat is related to the design of the
child restraint and its "footprint" , the size and shape of the bottom
of the child restraint as it sits on the seat. The weight of a child
restraint and its "footprint" vary for different kinds of child
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adj ust you r steer ing for ce accordingly.
• Have the problem checked and set right by an Audi dealer as
s o on as possible .
[ i ] Tip s
• When th e engine is running, never hold the steering whee l
turned all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15 seconds. The power steering pump will overheat the hydrau lic
fluid if you keep ho lding the steering wheel turned all the way. This
is like ly to damage the power steering system.
• If the power steering system should fail entirely, or if the engine
is not running (for example, while being towed), you wil l still be able
to steer the vehicle . However,
considerably more effort will be
required to do so.
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func ­
tioni ng properly, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
• The power steering system requires a specially formulated
hydraulic fluid . The power steering reservoir is the one located most
forward on the left side of the engine compartment~
page 298. The
correct fluid level in the reservoir is important for proper func ­
tioning of the power steering.
App lies to vehic les: with A ll Wheel Dr ive
Dr iving with your quattro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driven.
Gen era l i nfo rm ati on
With All Wheel Drive, power is d istr ibuted to all four whee ls. Th is
happens automatica lly depending on your driving style and the
road conditions at the time. See also ~
page 259, "Electronic differ ­
entia l lock (EDU".
Wint er tir es
When driving in the winte r, your vehicle with All Wheel Drive has an
advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -season tires) for improved
driveability and braking: these tires must be mounted on
a ll fou r
wh eel s.
See also ~ page 329, "Winter tires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
a lso app lies to veh icles with A ll Wheel Drive~
page 330, "Snow
chains".
R epl acing w hee ls/t ires
Vehicles with All Wheel Drive must always have tires of the same
size. Also avoid tires with different tread depths . For details see
page ~
page 325, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels" .
Off-R oa d dri ving?
Your Audi does no t have enough ground c learance to be used as an
off -road vehic le. It is therefore best to avoid rough tracks and
uneven terrain as much as possible . Also refer to~
page 269.
& WARNING
Always a djust yo ur driving to r oad and traffi c condition s. Do not
let the e xtr a s afet y affor ded b y All Whee l Dri ve tempt you into
taking extr a risks.
• Although the All Wheel Dr ive i s very effe ct ive , a lwa ys
r e member that braking capacity i s limited b y tire trac tion. You
s hould therefore not d riv e at e xcess iv e speed s on icy or slipp ery
road surfaces .
• On we t road surf aces, be care fu l no t to d riv e t oo fas t beca use
the front whe els could b egin to slid e on top of the w ater (aqu a­
planing ). If t his sho uld occ ur, you will h ave no warn ing from a
s udden incr ease in engine sp eed a s with a front -wh eel drive
v ehicl e. Alwa ys dri ve at spee d s w hic h are s uited to th e road condi ­
tion s - risk of cra sh.
;:i

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
& WARNING (continued)
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire . Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"l
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
Occ up ant loading and di stribution fo r vehicle no rmal load for various d esignated seating capa cities
Designated seating capacity, num­
ber of occupants Vehicle normal load
, numb er of
occupants Occupant distribution in a normally
load
ed vehicle
5 3 2 in front,
1 in bac k seat •
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performa nce and safe ty of a vehicle .
Fig. 2 40 Tire pre ssure
label: located either on
driver' s side B -pill ar or
in sid e the fuel filler flap
Ti re pressure ge nerally refe rs to the am ount of air in a tire tha t it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
veh icle and i ts contents. Tire pressu re is measured in kilopascals
(kPa ), the internationa l measuring uni t and in pounds per square
i nc h (PSI) . Tir e p ressu re is based in par t on the vehic le's design and
load l im it - the g reatest amoun t of wei ght that the vehic le ca n carry
safe ly and the tire size . The proper tire pressure is frequently
re ferr ed to as the "recommended cold t ire i nflation pressu re ." Air i n
the tires expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction
whe n it flexes i n use . The tire pres sure is h ig her whe n the tire has
wa rmed up than when it is "co ld." It is the inflation pressure in a
"c old" tire t hat co unts. The ref ore, y ou sho uld neve r let air out of a
warm tire to match "co ld tire inflation pressure" recommendations .
T he tires wo uld then be under inflated a nd cou ld fa il s ud den ly .
i
,,-, ~ ---------------- ixl
• (SEATING CAPAC ITY :roTAL I :FRO NT I :cENTER I :REAR I ) al
Thecombh,d""'91wclo«U,,..,.andco,-goshoulcl.......,""""' •1cg., -b.
TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
TIRE SIZE COLO TIRE PRESSURE
F RONT -KPa, -PSI
REAR -KPa, -PSI
SPARE -KPa, - PSI
MANUAL FOR
INFORMATION SEE OWNER'S I
ADDITIONAL
Fig . 241 Tire pr essure
label
M ain tain ing pr op er tire pressure i s one of th e m ost im portant
things you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated
t ires are a major cause of s udden tir e fail ure . K eeping tires at the
ri ght press ure is also impor tant for sa fe and r esponsive v ehicle
han dling, trac tion, b raki ng a nd l oad carryi ng .
Tire pressures are
particularly important when the vehicle is being driven at higher
speeds , and then especially when heavily loaded even within the
permissible load -carrying capacities approved for your vehicle.
T he recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind
of tires on your vehicle a nd the n umber of passengers an d/o r
amount of luggage you w ill be transporting.
On USA vehic les, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's
s id e B- pilla r. On Cana da v ehic les, the tire pressu re labe l is loca ted
either on the driver's side 8 -pillar or inside the fuel filler flap. The tire
pre ssure label lists the rec omm ended cold tire i nflatio n pre ssures _,,,
Vehic le care I I irechnical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were
on your vehic le at the time it was manufactured.
If you w is h t o improve co mfort w hen opera ting the vehicle a t
n ormal lo ad (up t o 3 o ccupant s), you can a djust ti re pre ss ure s to
tho se s pecified for norm al v ehi cle load . B efore operating the vehi cle
at m aximum lo ad , y ou must i ncreas e the t ire p re ss ure s to tho se
s pe cifi ed for m axim um vehicle lo ad
=> & .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system can only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored. The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehic le.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system will be impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehic le at its maximum load=>&. See the
illustration=>
page 317, fig. 240 for the location of the label
either on driver's side B -p illar or inside the fuel fi ller flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slight ly).
Note that the fol lowing tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepanc ies, the tire
pressure label (on USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on
the dr iver's side B-pi llar; on Canada vehicles, the tire pressure labe l
is located either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fue l fi ller
fl ap) always takes precedence.
T he table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehic le's capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respec ­
tive models as origina l equipment, or as a factory option.
En gin e Tire des ig nation Tir e pr essur e fro nt Tir e p re ssur e rea r
( di spl ac e-
no rm al l oa d no rm al l oa d
m ent in
conditi on (up t o full lo
ad
condition (u p full lo
ad
lit er)
condition condition 3 occupants ) to 3 occ upant s)
PSI kPA kPA kPA
6-cylinder 225/5 5 R16 99H XL All Sea son 33 230 35 240
30 210
39 270
3.2
245 /45 R17 99H XL All Season 33 230 35 240 30 2 10 39 270
2 45 /40 R1 8 97 H XL All Season 36 250
38 260 33 230 42 290
245
/40 R18 97V XL Hi gh Performan ce 33 230 33 230 30 210
39 270
8
-c ylind er 245 /45 R17 99H XL All Sea son 36 250 36 250 32 220 41 280
4.2
245/40 R18 97 H XL All S eason 39 270 39 270 35 240 42 290
2
45 /40 R18 97V XL High Perf orma nce 35 240
36 250 32 220 39 270
X
L = reinforced or extra load t ire . It may also appea r as xi, EX TRA LOAD , or RF on the tire sidewall.
The correct t ire pressure for the
spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel fil ler flap. Because technica
l changes may be made to vehicle equipment
during the mode l year, always compare the tire size designation on
the tire pressure label on your vehicle with the tires on your vehic le .
Make sure that the tire size information on the vehic le label is the _.,

--~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month~
page 319.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Maintenance and Warranty Booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals.
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown ~
page 323, fig. 243.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
~ page 344.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
the safety of the vehicle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have tires of the same size, construction and tread type. For details see~
page 264.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control, a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ llll
•
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width =>
page 325,
fig. 244.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require­
ments in addition to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual condi ­
tions of the ir use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ ­
ences in road characteristics and c limate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest , are AA, A, Band C .
Those grades represent the tire 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance =>& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing
the tire 's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure =>& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher leve ls of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excess ive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure . •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels .
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with al l-wheel drive *, this will improve
traction during winter dr iving, even with the standard tires.
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip all four
wheels on your vehicle with correctly fi tted winter tires or all-season
tires, when winter road conditions are expected . T his also improves
the vehicle 's braking performance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow.
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on a ll four wheels .
Compati ble t ire press ure moni to ring senso rs m ust be installed o n
a ll four w inter t ires for the t ire pr essure mo nitoring system to func­
tion p roper ly
~ page 327.
Ask you r au thori zed Aud i dealer o r qual ified w ork s hop f or per mitted
winter tire s izes . Use only radial winter tires.
Win ter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the trea d is wo rn down to
a depth of 0.1 57 inch (4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires unde r winter conditions. Summer t ires
ha ndle better when there is no snow or ice o n th e roads a nd th e
temperature is above 45 °F ( 7 °C).
If you ha ve a flat tir e, see notes on s pare w heel
~ page 325.
Please a lways reme mber t hat winte r ti res may have a lower speed
rating than the tires originally instal led on your vehic le at t he time
i t was ma nufactured. Please see~
page 326, "Speed rating (letter
code)" for a listing of the speed rating letter codes and the
m aximu m sp ee d at whic h th e t ires ca n be d riven .
T he speed rating letter code(~
page 316) is on the side wa ll of the
t ir e ~
page 325.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limit s that may be lower than
your vehicle' s ma ximum speed. Always know the ma ximum speed
before driving off . Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires . This will cause damage to the tires
leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers .
& WARNING
Driving faster than the ma ximum speed for whi ch the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of control , crashes and serio us
& WARNING (continued)
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires repla ced immedi­
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed.
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traff ic conditions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Always remember:
• When braking, an all -wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions .
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
q uieter, d o not wear as qu ickly a nd red uce fuel c onsu mp tion .•
Snow chains
S no w chains may b e fitte d only to t he fron t w hee ls, an d only to
certain tire sizes. Ask your authorized Aud i dea ler on which tire
sizes sn ow chai ns ca n be use d.
I f you are going to use snow chains, then you must instal l the m on
the front wheels at least.
T he snow chains mus t have low-pro file l inks a nd mus t not be thicke r
than 0.53 inch (13.5 mm), including the lock. .,,_

Tires and wheels -________________ w-.
•
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs before putting snow
chains on you r veh icle =>
(D. For sa fety reasons c ove r cap s m ust
then be fitted over the wheel bo lts . These are avai lable from autho ­
r ized Aud i deale rs.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or in stalling them
incorrectly can increase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
• Snow ch ains are available in different sizes . Always make sure
to follow the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac ­
turer .
• When driving with snow chains never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations .
0 Note
• Remove sn ow chai ns b efore d rivin g on roads not cove red w ith
snow to avoid damaging tires and wearing the snow chains down
u n n ecessa r i ly.
• Snow chains , which come into d irect contact with t he whee l rim,
ca n scratc h or da mage it. T herefore, ma ke sur e tha t th e snow chains
are suitably covered.
• I f the Adaptive Air Suspensio n* shou ld malfunction, do no t
mount or use snow chains because the vehicle will be extremely
l o w. I f yo u do drive w ith snow c hai ns o n w hi le t he ve hicle is a t thi s
level, the snow cha ins might severe ly damage the wheelhouse and
ot her parts o f the vehicle.
[ i ] Tips
W her e sn ow c hai ns are manda tory on certa in roa ds, t his no rm ally
a lso app lies to vehic les with Al l Wheel Drive. •
Wheel bolts
Wheel bo lts must alw ays be t ig hte ned to the correct
to rq ue .
The design of wheel bo lts is matched to the factory instal led rims. If
d iffere nt rim s are fitted, the corr ect w heel bo lts w it h t he rig ht le ngth
and correctly shaped bolt heads must be used. This ensures that
w he els are fitted securely and that the brake sys tem func tions
correctly.
I n certa in c ircums ta nces, you may not use wheel bo lts from
a
different vehicle -even if it is the same model=> page 368.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control , a collision and serious personal injury .
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened.
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled,
even if tightened to the specified torque .
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed .
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss.
If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 9 0 ft lb (120 Nm) with a
to lera nce of± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque whee l b o lt s d ia go nally.
Af ter changing a wheel, the torque must be checked as soon as .,_
Vehicle care I t •